Shoe counter stiffener



F. GROSSMAN 2,048,186

SHOE COUNTER STIFFENER July 21, 1936.

Filed Jan. 3, 1956 INVENTOR. FRANK GROSSMAN b/SATTORNEY.

Patented July 21, 1936 SHOE COUNTER STIFFENER,

Frank Grossman, New

Grossman Shoes Inc.,

ration of New York York, N. Y., assignor to Brooklyn, N. Y., a corpo- Application January 3, 1936, Serial No. 57,337

1 Claim.

This invention relates to shoe construction and more particularly to improvements in counter stiifeners. The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageous form of counter stiffeners.

Heretofore it has been a common practice to make counter stifieners from relatively stiff and thick leather or fibre board. Counter stifieners formed in this way are satisfactory in most ways but have certain disadvantages. For example, it is very diificult in lasting a shoe to bring the I counter stiffener close enough to the last at all points to avoid the existence of an air space between them. Under such conditions the counter stifiener will not have the proper shape and will not hug the heel and, due to its stiff and inelastic character, this undesirable condition will probably continue throughout the useful life of the shoe.

According to the present invention, this and other disadvantages may be avoided and various advantages may be obtained.

For this purpose a counter of the general character described may be provided, at its middle and extending to its upper edge with a portion of greater pliability and elasticity. Specifically, the desired pliability and elasticity may be provided by cutting out a portion of this stiff, heavy material at the specified location and replacing it with a piece of relatively thin, pliable and elastic material which may be of leather. The two parts of the counter stiffening may be fitted together in any suitable way as by skiving them at their edges so that they can be overlapped and fastened together, as by sewing, without leaving any substantial projection or surface roughness.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear upon consideration of the following description and of the drawing in which the figure is a View in elevation of a counter stiffener a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a counter stifiener Ill comprising a body portion I I which may be of usual shape or outline except for an opening or notch extending downwardly from the upper edge of said body portion at the middle thereof. The notch, which is illustrated as being of triangular or V-shape is 5' covered by an insert or piece I2 of greater pliability and elasticity than the body portion I I. To obtain a smooth inner surface for the counter stiffener, said body portion II may be thinned gradually to the edge of the notch therein and the parts II and I2 may be secured together in any suitable manner as by one or more lines of stitching I3. If desired, the two parts may be secured together by an adhesive in addition to said stitching I 3. Also the insert I2 may be thinned toward its side edges to assist in providing a smooth connection between the parts II and I2.

Although the body portion II may be of any suitable material such as fibre board, it is preferably of heavy, stifi leather. Also the insert I2 may be of any suitable material, it is preferably of thin, pliable and elastic leather.

With a counter stifiener of this character, better results can be obtained in the lasting operation, and shoes provided with counters of this character will add to the comfort of the wearer in that they will provide for a close fit of the shoe to the heel of the foot.

It will of course be understood that the triangular insert has been shown merely for the sake of illustration and that both cut-out as well as insert may be of any other suitable shape.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A counter stiffener for a shoe comprising a relatively stiff body portion provided at its middle with a broad notch or recess extending downwardly from its upper edge, and a portion of flexible, leather-like material extending across said notch and filling the same and secured to said body portion smoothly at opposite sides of 40 said notch.

FRANK GROSSMAN. 

